Recipes: Bread winners

Published on 23/10/2008 12:11

Fruity, sweet treats can make cold days seem a little warmer, especially when served with tea by a fire

October always makes me think longingly of teatime food. The early darkness in the afternoons is, I think, the catalyst for my yearnings for buttered crumpets, warm scones with bramble and lemon jelly or with lemon curd. Such wicked thoughts deserve indulging every now and then, but a good tea-bread or cake can satisfy such cravings without being too hugely calorific. A slice of fruity tea-bread (even better when spread with marmalade) with a cup of tea makes these chilly months feel good, especially if you are lucky enough to sit beside a fire.

CINNAMON AND PECAN SWEET BREAD

I do love the American sweet cakey breads they eat at breakfast time. This version is adapted from a couple of recipes given to me by friends from the US. It can be made and frozen, but warm it up to serve.

For the bread:

6oz/170g butter

6oz/170g soft brown sugar

8oz/225g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the topping:

4oz/110g demerara sugar

2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon

3oz/85g chopped pecan nuts (you can substitute walnuts, but pecans are widely available now and much nicer)

2oz/55g butter, melted

For the bread dough, beat together the butter and soft brown sugar really well until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder alternately with the beaten eggs, mixing all well into the mixture. Stir in the vanilla essence.

Grease a baking tin or small roasting tin measuring about 8in/20cm x 12in/30cm and line it with Bakewell paper (silicon-coated baking parchment). Pour the mixture into the tin.

Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle this as evenly as you can over the surface. Bake the bread at 190C/375F/Gas Mark 4-5 (bottom right oven in a four-door Aga) for 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool in the tin. Mark it into squares and serve it warm.

FRUITY TEA-BREAD

This makes a 1lb/450g loaf

2oz/55g sultanas

2oz/55g raisins

2oz/55g plump dried figs, chopped

2oz/55g dried apricots, chopped

2oz/55g prunes (I use the stoneless, soft Agen prunes), chopped

1/2 pint/285ml Earl Grey tea

8oz/225g self-raising flour, sieved

6oz/170g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2oz/55g butter, melted

finely grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Put the dried fruits into a bowl and pour the tea over them. Mix well and leave overnight.

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the soft brown sugar. Mix in the beaten eggs, the melted butter, lemon and orange rind, cinnamon and the fruits from their bowl, mixing in enough of the liquid so that you have a dropping consistency.

Spoon and scrape this mixture into a buttered 1lb/450g loaf tin lined with baking parchment and bake in a low to moderate oven, 150C/300F/Gas Mark 3, for 1-11/4 hours. You'll know when it is cooked – the tea-bread should feel firm when you press the surface.

Cool it in its tin, then cut into slices about 1cm thick and serve very slightly warm, and spread as liberally as you dare with butter.

DATE AND ORANGE SQUARES

I found this recipe either on a packet of porridge oats or the back of a container of dates more years ago than I care even to try to remember, but the recipe lives on.

8oz/225g dates, chopped quite finely

1/2 pint/285ml orange juice – I use Tropicana when I don't squeeze my own orange juice

8oz/225g porridge oats

6oz/170g self-raising flour

6oz/170g soft brown sugar, light or dark

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

6oz/170g butter, melted (or you can substitute buttery Benecol)

Line the base of a baking tin about 8in/20cm across and 1in/2cm deep with Bakewell paper; if you're using baking parchment, be sure to butter it.

Put the chopped dates and orange juice into a saucepan over a moderate heat and simmer the orange juice until it has virtually evaporated and the dates are nearly a thick pure. Leave to cool.

Mix together the oats, flour and sugar with the bicarbonate of soda and thoroughly mix in the melted butter. Spread half of this mixture over the base of the prepared baking tin, then spread the date pure over this and cover the lot with the remainder of the oats mixture, spooning it and spreading it to cover the orange-flavoured dates.

Bake in a moderate oven, 180C/ 350F/Gas Mark 4, for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into squares and, when quite cold, store in an airtight container.